Process for refining hydrocarbon oils by means of organic oxides



25 mainly paraffin-like components. These undis- The members of class 2 of the auxiliary 25 Patented Oct. 3, 1939 2,174,765

UNITED STATES hATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR REFINING HYDROCARBON OILS BY MEANS OF ORGANIC OXIDES Ernst Terres, Berlin, Germany, and Josef Moos,

New York, and Erich Saegebarth, Jackson Heights, N. Y., assignors to Edeleanu Gescllschaft, m. b. H., a corporation of Germany No Drawing. Application October 25, 1937, Se-

rial No. 170,971. In the Netherlands March 20, 1936 9 Claims. (01. 19613) This invention relates to the refining of hydrosolvent from the rafiinate and extract solutions carbon oils, such as mineral oils, coal tar or are shown in the following table: bituminous coal tar oils, by means of selective solvents which have the characteristics of dis- 1 i1 solving certain undesirable fractions present in 3 0 5 (Mld 9 Raflinate Extract hydrocarbon oils for producing 011s suitable for aglubrication purposes, and is a continuation in 1 M) part of our application Serial No. 12,527, filed March 1 mm Processes for refining hydroi tt figitlty'iT1 3???-:::: 33.0 29.7 $5

0 carbon oils by means of ketones, organic acids, g g fi i ig 5g 4 2 10 organic anhydrides, organic oxides, alcohols and fiff fffff fl 1 jjjjjjjjjj ethers.

Although not much is known about the actual constitution of the individual components pres- Instead of employmg ethylene oxlde ent in hydrocarbon oils, it is understood that the pylehe Oxide one, We may use them mixed to- 1 cuts or fractions which are heavy enough for e i and use them elthet altme or lubricating stock contain representatives of the mlXed together In Presence otrepresentatlves of aromatic, hydroaromatic and unsaturated groups three different classes of auxillary solvents. The which are undesirable for lubricating purposes. members Of Glass 1 of the auxillary solvents, to

The removal f these undesirable components, which belong the aromatics, hydroaromatics, the 20 which are generally referred to as viscosity non-selective aliphatic and aromatic halogen deindex hydrocarbons" or non ramm constitw rivatives, the non-selective ketones, esters and m by means f suitable Selective Solvents ethers, serve to increase the solvent power of leaves an undissolved fraction which contains 0111' above mentioned selective Solventssolved fractions or raffinates are identified by Vents, to which belong the alcohols and Organic greatly improved physical and chemical Speci acids, have the purpose of decreasing the solvent fications, such as gravity, viscosity temperature Power of the hy OXide and propylehe relationship, Conradson carbon and resistance The members of class 3 0f the auxlllaly 9 against oxidation, and they are generally vents, to which belong for example the low boil- 30 ferred to as high viscosity index hydrocarbons mg members of the pamfitnes for instance or paraffinic constituents pane, butane or mixtures thereof, have the pur- We have f und that cyclic Organic oxides have pose of increasing the selectivity of our selective very good selective solvent action upon hydrosolventscarbon oils. These cyclic oxides comprise ethyl- Instead of recovelmg h Solvents by t 35 ene oxide, propylene oxide and mixtures thereof, lation, We may employ a dltterent Solvent Whlch which dissolve the undesirable fractions of hydissolves y the Solvents but not t hydro" drocarbon oils as described above and produce a Carbon fraetiohe From the Solvent mlxture P greatly improved mnate In the claims, t taining the additional solvent, and our selective 40 class of selective solvents is referred to as cyclic and auxiliary Solvents, W m {remove the M1011 40 organic oxides containing one oxygen t and tional solvent either by distlllation or by theadless than f ur carbon atoms per molecule? In dition of water or other agents WhICh cause it to carrying out our invention, we Contact one or become insoluble in our selective and auxiliary the other of these selective solvents with the Solventshydrocarbon oil to be treated in batch or in other pes Of 0111' nvention and the action 45 counter-current using a mixing d Settling of the auxiliary solvents s explained in our coequipment or a tow r mixe pending applications Serial Nos. 12,526, 12,528

The effect of our solvents upon mineral oils and fi March 1935- may be seen from the following example: We claim the following as our invention: A dewaxed Mid-Continent heavy motor oil was 1. A process of refining mineral oil containing 50 extracted at 32 F. with ethylene oxide and this both high viscosity index hydrocarbons and low extraction was carried out with 300% solvent viscosity index hydrocarbons, comprising extractadded in th ee batc es 0f each. The rafing the oil with a selective solvent of the class 1 finate and extract layers Were Separated from consisting of cyclic organic oxides containing each other and the results after I'BCOVGIiIlg the one oxygen atom and, less than four carbon atoms 55 per molecule, to form a raffinate layer containing the high viscosity index hydrocarbons, and an extract layer containing the low viscosity index hydrocarbons of said mineral oil dissolved in said selective solvent, separating said layers from each other and recovering the solvent therefrom.

2. In a process of refining hydrocarbon oil by solvent treatment, the step of extracting said hydrocarbon oil with a substance of the class consisting of cyclic organic oxides containing one oxygen atom and less than four carbon atoms per molecule, said substance functioning as a selective solvent, to cause the separation of the low viscosity index constituents from the high viscosity index constituents of the oil.

3. A process of refining mineral oil containing both high viscosity index hydrocarbons and low viscosity index hydrocarbons, comprising extracting the oil with ethylene oxide as a selective solvent to form a raflinate layer containing the high viscosity index hydrocarbons, and an extract layer containing the low viscosity index hydrocarbons of said mineral oil dissolved in the ethylene oxide, separating said layers from each other and recovering the solvent therefrom.

4. In a process of refining hydrocarbon oils by solvent treatment, the step of extracting the oil with ethylene oxide, as a selective solvent to cause the separation of the low viscosity index constituents from the high viscosity index constituents of the oil.

5. In a process of refining hydrocarbon oils by solvent treatment, the step of extracting the oil with a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, said mixture functioning as a selective solvent to cause the separation of the low viscosity index constituents from the high viscosity index constituents of the oil.

6. A process of refining mineral oil containing both high viscosity index hydrocarbons and low viscosity index hydrocarbons, comprising extracting the oil with propylene oxide as a selective solvent to form a rafiinate layer containing the high viscosity index hydrocarbons, and an extract layer containing the low viscosity index hydrocarbons of said mineral oil dissolved in the propylene oxide, separating said layers from each other and recovering the solvent therefrom.

7. In a process of refining hydrocarbon oils by solvent treatment, the step of extracting the oil with propylene oxide, as a selective solvent to cause the separation of the low viscosity index constituents from the high viscosity index constituents of the oil.

8. A process of refining a hydrocarbon oil comprising extracting the oil with a substance of the class of cyclic organic oxides containing one oxygen atom and less than four carbon atoms per molecule, as a selective solvent, at such temperatures as to produce a separation into two liquid phases containing respectively paraffinic and non-paraifinic constituents, separating the phases from each other and recovering the solvent therefrom.

9. A process of refining a hydrocarbon oil comprising mixing the oil with a substance of the class of cyclic organic oxides containing one oxygen atom and less than four carbon atoms per molecule, as a selective solvent, and adjusting the temperature to produce a separation into two oil containing phases, separating the phases from each other and recovering the solvent therefrom.

ERNST TERRES. JOSEF MOOS. ERICI-I SAE'GEBARTH. 

